Whiskey maven combines laughter with education at West Overton Village & Museum
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From crafting laughter onstage to distilling the essence of whiskey into a 90-minute dissertation that is both amusing and educational, Robin Robinson schools his students on what whiskey is, was and where it’s going.
The former stand-up comic blends his unique sense of humor with top shelf information designed to impart knowledge while eliciting laughs. And if you ask him, he’ll probably be the first to admit that adding six whiskeys to the mix doesn’t hurt either.
The Master Class will be held March 8 at the West Overton Village located at 109 West Overton Road, Scottdale. Included in the class, which starts at 7 p.m., is a whiskey tasting, a charcuterie sampling and a signed copy of Robinson’s book, “The Complete Whiskey Course.”
From Stand-Up Comedian to Author and Whiskey Expert
Robinson began honing his comedic chops years ago at the University of Pittsburgh.
“There was a place there called The Portfolio, which we called a fern bar,” explains Robinson, adding that the decade was the late 70s.
“I ended up buying the bartender and the band a glass of wine in exchange for doing stand-up between sets,” he said.
Robinson, who also worked as an actor for years, learned early on that he had a knack for making even the most buttoned-up audiences titter. He describes a gig where he impersonated a Scottish distiller for a private party in New York City in 1985.
“I was coached on single-malt scotch and went out and bought my first 12-year-old Macallen and was hooked. What followed was a pairing dinner, with four single-malt scotches on the menu, so I underwent some additional coaching and made up an incredibly filthy story about the beginnings of Macallen in the 15th century,” Robinson said, all the while enjoying watching jaws dropping amongst the elite dinner crowd.
“At the end I admitted who I was and it coincided with April Fool’s Day,” Robinson said, adding that everyone burst out in laughter and had a great time.
“The steward said that I transformed what would have previously been a boring tasting into something entertaining,” he said.
The Obsession for Single-Malt Scotch Continues
Robinson eventually ended up in Silicon Valley in the tech industry, but he remained, in his own words, “obsessed” with scotch, insomuch that he exited tech and became a brand ambassador.
“In 2009, I parlayed that into the largest-running whiskey class in America,” said Robinson, who also penned a book on the subject a decade later called “The Complete Whiskey Course: A Comprehensive Tasting School in Ten Classes.”
As mentioned previously, Robinson’s unique approach to a “master class” incorporates humor into The story of whiskey.
“I get the facts right, then add entertaining tidbits to the narrative,” said Robinson, adding that guests will have the opportunity to taste whiskeys that hail from various regions like Japan, Scotland and Canada. In his presentation, Robinson will discuss their origin, style, taste, method of production, influences and impact.
Michael Vacheresse owns Travel Bar in Brooklyn, an establishment that was named among the top 101 Whiskey Bars in the Nation by Whiskey Advocate. Vacheresse worked with Robinson during COVID when the pair held online whiskey tastings.
“I handled questions that people would ask in chat,” said Vacheresse, adding that he makes all his bartenders read Robinson’s book.
“He is very well versed in the whiskey world and one of his greatest gifts is translating his knowledge into common parlance,” said Vacheresse.
Lisa Saunders, general manager of New York’s Astor Center is also familiar with Robinson’s work.
“His Whiskey Smackdowns have been a main attraction at Astor Center for years,” Saunders said, describing Robinson as a “living encyclopedia of whiskey who is genuinely passionate about sharing his knowledge with others by empowering and inspiring everyone in his class in their pursuit of whiskey appreciation.”
The Tasting Site
The class location was chosen deliberately for its historical significance in the whiskey world as a nonprofit historic site and museum that illustrates the rise of the American Industrial Revolution. The Mennonite family that produced Old Overholt onsite, also ran a commercial coverlet factory, a grist mill, a coal mine with 110 coke ovens and supported a community of agricultural and industrial workers. Today West Overton Village preserves 19 historic buildings across 40 acres and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Future of Whiskey
Robinson said that he is enjoying sharing his knowledge and is looking forward to what the future brings when it comes to the whiskey world.
“One thing I’ve learned is that whiskey is now coming from parts of the world, which, in the past, have been devoid of whiskey heritage, like India, for instance.”
In the meantime, Robinson said he hopes to keep everyone not only entertained, but also enlightened in his long-running class.
Ticket prices cost $70 for West Overton Village members and $75 for non-members. The class is for guests 21+. Registration required by Friday, March 1. Tickets can be purchased at https://events.humanitix.com/the-story-of-whiskey.